Fixture with wall receiving portion



Feb. 26, 1952 A. LINDSTROM FIXTURE WITH WALL RECEIVING PORTION Filed Oct. 28, 1946 INVENTOR A. LINDSTROM BY Q Tux FIG.

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 26, 1952 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE FIXTURE WITH RECEIVING PORTION Alvin L. Lindstrom, Atlanta, Ga

Application October 28, 1946, Serial No. 706,215

4 Claims.

Thi invention relates to improvements in building construction and particularly to an improved plaster joint for fixtures such as bath tubs, basins, cabinets, etc.

Accordingto conventional practice, plumbing fixtures, such as bath tubs and basins, portions of which are set into the wall of 'aroom, are provided with a horizontal fiange or flanges for receiving the wall plaster, tile or the like in order to obtain a water tight joint. This conventional arrangementproduces a sharp edge or corner between the horizontal ledge or flanged surface 'of the fixture and the vertical surface of the wall." Shrinkage, drying, or settling of one part relative to the other frequently causes the joint between the fixture and the wall to separate. Leakage of water into this space results in the accumulation of dirt and the deterioration of the wall'adjacentthe fixture, causing an unsanitary condition as well as an unsightly appearance of the joint between the fixture and the wall.

This conventional fixture construction also offers difiiculty in the anchoring of the fixture firmly to the wall in a manner to avoid settling movement of the fixture relative to the wall. A problem is also encountered in adequately supporting the loads which the fixtures are required 'to bear, including the weight of water, objects and persons.

Also the conventional building construction is such that the wall covering is not rigidly anchored to the wall or partition, but rather is only afiixed thereto, and is subject to both lateral and vertical movement which at times is greater or less than that of the wall framing to 'whichithe wall covering and the fixture is affixed.

Among the objects of the present invention are to provide an improved fixture having integral mean for rigidly attaching the fixture to the wallet a building or to the wall and floor structure; which means also cooperate with the wall or floor covering to provide a permanent tight joint between the fixture and the wall or floor covering so that regardless of relative move- --ments of "the wall frame, the covering and the fixture, the covering cannot separate at its edge from the: corresponding surface of the fixture to permit a crack to develop.

' A. further object resides in the provision of a housing fixture, such as a plumbing fixture or cabinet, having an. integral wall cover receiving portion of simple and economical construction which will firmly unite the wall covering with .ithe' fixture.

A still further object resides in the provision of a plumbing fixture having along certain edges thereof integral flange portions by means of which the fixture may be rigidly attached to the adjacent walls or to the walls and fioor of a room, which attaching means i also arranged to receive the adjoining edge portion of the wall or floor covering to maintain the covering permanently in intimate association with the fixtime.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective of an improved fixture illustrative of the invention, and showing the manner of uniting the associated edge of the wall covering with a wall covering receiving portion provided on the fixture;

Fig. 2, a perspective of a modified form of wall covering receivingportion; and

Fig. 3, a fragmentary perspective of 'a further modification combining the forms of Figs. 1

and 2.

With continued reference to the drawing and particularly to Fig. 1, a fixture, such as a bath tub, basin 0! the like It, is shown. This fixture has substantially vertical wall portions II and i2 which form portions of the complete fixture. Each of the wall portions II and I2 is provided at its upper edge with horizontal ledges l3 and 14. In the conventional construction, these ledges along the sides contacting the walls of the room, are either merely .cut off along their outer edges or may, in some cases, be provided with integralstiffening beads of relatively small cross sectional area, which beads abut the structural members of the wall and receive on their upper surfaces the lower edges of the corresponding portions of the wall coverings such as plaster or tile. With such as arrangement, whenever the fixture is used, water washed up onto thefihorizontal ledges and against the lower edge of the wall covering" comes in contactwith the edge of the wall covering suficiently to soften the bond between the wall covering and the fixtures. This construction will -.maintain a tight neat joint between the wall apertures 27 apertures 21 and 30.

.33, such as plaster or a base material for tile, is then applied to the wall and extended over the inner sides of the flanged portion 25 and 26.

portions outer edges to provide corresponding curved channels l6 and I1 respectively and the upper edges of these curved portions are formed into respective fiat horizontal flanges l8 and I9, each having a width substantially equal to the thickness of the wall covering l and having a flat horizontal upper surface upon which the adjoining edge of the wall covering rests. The flanges I8 and I9 extend beyond the outer sides of the curved channels to provide ledges or beads which may be received in suitable recesses provided in the structural members of the corresponding walls to resist settling movements of the fixture which would result in a separation of the flanges l8 and H) from the corresponding edges of the wall covering. The curved channels l6 and I1 interposed between the upper surfaces of the ledges l3 and I4 and the bottom edges of the wall covering l5 prevent water from the fixture from coming in contact with the edge portions of the wall covering so that the bond between the wall covering and the flanges l8 and I9 is not destroyed and the edge portion of the wall covering is not deteriorated by constant wetting, and I also provide a small amount of flexibility to comslight relative movements structural members, the wall pensate for the covering and the edges of the fixture in contact with the wall covering.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, the fixture is provided with vertical walls 2| and 22, and

with integral horizontal ledges 23 and 24, respectively. These ledges are provided at their outer edges with upwardly extending vertical flange .portions and 25, respectively. The flange provided with a plurality of spaced preferably elongated horizontally and with a pair of inwardly and downwardly directed flanges 23' and 29, which are substanportion 25 is tially parallel and disposed one above the other.

The flange 26 extending upwardly from the ledge 24 is provided with similar apertures and inwardly and downwardly directed flanges 3| and 32.

The fixture may be firmly secured to the wall structure by means of fastening elements such as nails or screws inserted through some of the The wall covering material Some of the covering material is pressed out through the apertures 21 and 3|] and the downwardly hooked flange members 28, 29, 3| and 32 are embedded in the covering material, the covering material being extended downwardly to a seat on the upper surfaces of the ledges Hand 24.

The fastening elements securing the flange 25 and 26 to the wall structure effectively prevent settling of the fixture relative to the wall and the engagement of-the wall covering material with the apertures and the down- Wardlyhooked flanges rigidly associates the covering material with the fixture in such a manner that the lower edge of the covering material cannot separate from the corresponding upper surfaces of the substantailly horizontal ledges. With this arrangement, even though water is splashed upon the ledges and along the edge of the covering material, the bond between the covering material and the ledges is held so firmly that the water does not seep into any space between the wall covering material and the receptacle and thus any cracking of the wall covering material or separation of this material from the fixture is avoided.

The downwardly hooked flanges may be provided continuously along the flanged edge portion of the fixture as illustrated or may be provided as spaced hook members of any desired length. Flanges similar to the flanges 25 and 26 may also be provided along the edges of the fixture associated with the floor, particularly where a floor of plastic composition such as concrete is to be used and the joint thus provided between the fixture and the floor material will prevent any cracks from appearing along the joints between the fixture and the floor.

The downwardly and inwardly inclined shape of t flange members 28, 29, 3| and 32 enables these flange members to effectively transfer any separating force existing between the fixture and the Wall covering to the wall covering so that this covering is held down firmly in place from the fixture and any separation between the fixture and the edges of the wall covering is precluded.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 3, the side wall of the fixture or vertical fixture wall 34 is provided along its upper edge with the outwardly extending generally horizontal ledge portion 35, the outer edge of which is bent up as indicated at 33 to form a curved channel 31 similar to the channel l6 of Fig. 1. The top of the bent up portion 36 carries an integral angle member, generally indicated at 38, of L-shaped cross section havterial substantially dry at all times.

The vertical leg 39 is provided with spaced apertures 42 similar to the apertures 21 and 30 of Fig. 2 and with inwardly and downwardly extending flange portions 43 and 44. 7

As indicated above in the description of the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, fastening elements, such as nails or screws, may be driven through some of the apertures 42 into the wall structure to firmly unite the fixture with the wall of the room in which the fixture is installed. Some of the plastic wall covering material 4| is pressed through the apertures 42 to provide a key lock between the plaster 4| and the fixture flange 38 and the flange portions 43 and 44 are also deeply embedded in the plaster to transmit any settling action 'of the fixture to the plaster, thereby precluding any separation between the edge of the plaster wall covering and the upper surface of flange leg 40.

As stated above, the wall covering 4| may be a conventional plaster covering or may be any other desired form of wall covering, such as a plastic base for tile as indicated at 45 in Fig. 3. When tile is applied to the surface of the covering the edges of the tiles in contact with the fixture will be held firmly in place on the adjacent fixture surface so that there will be no tendency to break the bond originally provided between the tiles and the fixture and no crack between the tiles .and fixture will appear, since separation between the tiles and fixture is definitely precluded by the improved construction, which retains the wall covering material firmly in position relative to the fixture.

The improved construction has been illustrated as applied to a bath tub or a basin and to the porions of such plumbing fixtures as are in contact with the walls of the room in which the fixture is installed. As stated above, the improved joint bonding arrangement may also be applied to the portions of such fixtures in contact with the floor of the room in which the fixture is installed and may also be applied to other fixtures or devices, such as cabinets and mirrors, which are set into the wall covering material.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A fixture having an upright side wall adapted to be positioned in contact with a vertical wall comprising a horizontally disposed ledge extending along. the upright side wall, the inner edge of the ledge sloping downwardly from the ledge to the side Wall, the outer edge of the ledge extending in the same general direction as the side wall and having fixedly secured thereto a horizontally disposed elongated upstanding flange, and a horizontally disposed angle member positioned above said upstanding flange with one leg extending horizontally and the other leg extending vertically, said one leg intermediate its edges abutting the upper edge of said flange and secured thereto, the free edge of said one leg extending inwardly beyond said flange, the other leg of said angle member extending upwardly, said ledge, flange and said one leg of said angle member being adapted to cause water to run ofi.

2. A fixture having an upright side wall adapted to be positioned in contact with a vertical wall comprising a horizontally disposed ledge extending along the upright side wall, the inner edge of the ledge sloping downwardly from the ledge'to i the side wall, the outer edge of the ledge extending in-the same general direction as the side wall and having fixedly secured thereto a horizontally disposed elongated upstanding imperforate flange, and a horizontally disposed elongated angle member positioned above said upstanding flange with one leg extending horizontally and the other leg extending vertically, said one leg abutting the upper edge of said flange and secured thereto,

the free edge of said one leg extending inwardly i.

beyond the said flange, the other leg of said angle member extending upwardly, said ledge, flange and said one leg of said angle member being adapted to cause water to run 011.

3. A fixture having an upright side wall adapted to be positioned in contact with a vertical wall comprising a horizontally disposed ledge extending along the upright side wall, the inner edge of said ledge sloping downwardly from the ledge to the side wall, the outer edge of the ledge extending in the same general direction as the side wall and having fixedly secured thereto a horizontally disposed elongated upstanding flange, a horizontally disposed elongated angle member positioned above said upstanding flange with one leg extending horizontally and the other leg extending vertically, said one leg intermediate its edges abutting the upper edge ofsaid flange and secured thereto, the free edge of said one leg projecting inwardly beyond said flange, the other leg of said angle member extending upwardly, a first flange portion positioned at the upper end of said other leg of said angle member sloping downwardly and inwardly therefrom secured to said other le and a second flange portion positioned on the inner face of said other leg intermediate the edges thereof and sloping downwardly and inwardly therefrom, said flange portions serving to key plaster to said fixture.

4. A fixture having an upright side wall adapted to be positioned in contact with a vertical wall comprising a horizontally disposed ledge extending along the upright side wall, the inner edge of said ledg'e sloping downwardly from the ledge to the side wall, the outer edge of the ledge extending in the same general direction as the side wall and having fixedly secured thereto an imperforate flange, a horizontally disposed angle member p0- sitioned above said upstanding flange with one leg extending horizontally and the other leg extending vertically, said one leg abutting the upper edge of said flange and having its free edge projecting inwardly beyond said flange toward said side wall, a flange portion positioned on the inner face of said other leg projecting inwardly therefrom, said flange portion serving to key plaster to said fixture.

ALVIN L. LINDSTROM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 962,240 Neal June 21, 1910 1,704,105 Sauer Mar. 5, 1929 1,919,354 Anderson July 25, 1933' 2,031,255 Deubelbeiss Feb. 18, 1936 2,161,952 Dean June 13, 1939 2,357,688 Robinson Sept. 5, 1944 2,396,845 Gruen Mar. 19, 1946 

